


Tattoo

by StarSparkle2403



Series: Marvel Oneshots That Have Pretty Much Nothing in Common [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Couch Cuddles, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Forehead Touching, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-15 03:00:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14150472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarSparkle2403/pseuds/StarSparkle2403
Summary: Another time Afghanistan almost ruined Tony's life.





	Tattoo

When you’re born, you have a small, simple tattoo on your body. It was said that when you met your soulmate, it would start to grow more complex. The more time you spend with your soulmate, the bigger your tattoo would grow. 

Tony’s tattoo was a tiny circle right in the middle of his chest. After Afghanistan, he has a bigger circle on his chest.

The reactor had stopped hurting a couple weeks after he got it, but it started to ache the moment he met Steve. It only got worse the longer he knew him.

One day, he was going over blueprints for R&D and the ache turned into a stabbing pain. He staggered over to his workbench and tried to open one of the drawers but tripped over his own feet and landed hard on the ground. He curled up in a ball and clutched his chest.

He heard the door to the workshop open and someone come in. 

“Tony?” Steve looked around, but didn’t see him. “Bruce said that you would be in here but I can go if-” He cut himself off when he saw Tony curled up on the ground. His eyes widened and he rushed over.

Steve placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked worriedly. Tony just groaned in response. “Is it the reactor?” Steve asked.

Tony nodded. “I think so,” he whispered, curling up even tighter.

Steve rubbed his back soothingly and sat down next to him. Tony uncurled a bit as the pain got slightly less intense. “Is there anything I can do?” Steve asked, his brow scrunched up in worry.

“Not really,” Tony said. “Just get me to the couch.”

Steve hauled him up and Tony tried to get his feet under him. He tried to take a step, but another wave of pain rushed over him and his legs gave out. Before he could hit the ground again, Steve swept him up in his arms and carried him over to the couch in the corner of the workshop. 

Tony groaned when he hit the cushions, the movement jostling him and making the already horrible pain worse. “Sorry, sorry,” Steve said, reaching out and steadying the smaller man.

“It’s fine,” Tony breathed. “You can go now, I’ll be fine.”

Steve stared at him. “I’m not going anywhere. Not when you’re like this.”

Tony glanced up and immediately knew that he wouldn’t win this argument, so he didn’t waste the energy. 

A sudden need to be close to Steve washed over him, drowning out the pain. He reached out and grabbed Steve’s hand. The super soldier was taken by surprise and let himself be pulled down onto the couch. Tony curled up and pressed himself into Steve’s side.

The need began to fade and went away completely when Steve wrapped an arm around Tony’s shoulders. It took a second before Tony realised that the pain had gone away too.

Tony knew that he should get up, see what Steve came in there for, but it felt so good to be all snuggled up to Steve. To be held like this. 

Warmth soon filled the space the pain had occupied before. Tony gasped quietly and Steve tensed. “Tony?” he said. “Are you-” He stopped, cut off by a gasp of his own.

Tony looked up at Steve and his eyes immediately fell on the tiny black line creeping out from under the bigger man’s collar. His hand came up, and he traced the line with the tip of one finger.

Steve’s eyes fell closed as he leaned into the touch. “Is this your soulmate tattoo?” Tony asked, eyes still on the tiny line.

“Yeah,” he replied, voice deeper than usual. “It started to grow when I met you.” He opened his eyes, and watched Tony’s reaction carefully, as if expecting Tony to reject him.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Tony asked quietly, a bit hurt.

Steve looked away before saying, “You didn’t say anything, so I thought you didn’t want to be my soulmate.”

Tony grimaced. “I didn’t know.” Steve looked at him questioningly. Tony tapped his chest. “The reactor is where mine used to be,” he explained. He leaned in and rested his forehead against Steve’s. “And I would love to be your soulmate.”

A wide grin spread across Steve’s face, and his bright blue eyes lit up. He wrapped his arms around Tony and pulled him in for a hug. Tony buried his face in Steve’s neck and gripped the other man’s shirt.

“Does this mean I can take you out on a date?” Steve asked hopefully.

Tony chuckled. “Yes, that’s exactly what this means.”

Little did they know, as the two sat there on a threadbare couch in the corner of a genius’ workshop, tiny threads of black were slowly curling out from around the reactor, forming new additions to a soulmate tattoo that had been missing for a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to read these ahead of time, you can find them on my Tumblr profile, marvel-girl03.


End file.
